Water-ham



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOSHUA L. GATGHEL, OF ELKTON, MARYLAND.

WATER-RAM.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,368, dated April 17, 1849;Antedated April 107 1849.

`To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSHUA L. GATCHEL, of Elkton, in the county of Ceciland State of Maryland, have invented sundry Improvements in theHydraulic Ram for Raising lVater; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

My first improvement consists in so ro- 4portioning some of the parts ofthe double acting hydraulic ramrepresented in Figure l, of theaccompanying drawingsmthat it can be readily converted into a singleacting ram, by removing some of its component parts and combining theremaining portion thereof, in the manner represented by Fig. 2.

By a double acting hydraulic ram, I mean one so arranged that water foruse can be elevated thereby from a well or spring, or other reservoir ofpure water, that is situated at a lower level than the run water thatactuates the ram: a particular description of the construction andoperation of which, will be found in the patent granted to me on the10th of April 1847.

The base of the air vessel J, and the base of the diaphragm chamber D,correspond with each other in size, and the seatupon the uifper end ofthe diaphragm cha1nberfor the reception of the air vesselwcorresponds insize wit-h the seat upon the upper side of the pipe A; consequently, theair vessel, diaphragm chamber, and pipe, (A,) may be so combined witheach other as to form a double ram; or, the air vessel J,)

may be combined directly with the pipel A,) so as to form a single ram.In combining the respective component parts for the formation of adouble ram, I insert the ring F, between the base of the diaphragmchamber and the seat upon the pipe A, and confine the periphery of thediaphragm G, between the ring (F) and the base of the diaphragm chamber.The ring F, is combined. with the other parts of the ram for the purposeenlarging the space for the diaphragm G, to rise and fall in.

My second improvement consistsin the manner in which I connect therespective parts of the hydraulic ram to each other, by which I avoidthe use of screw bolts; to wit. By the casting of hooks or lugs el, (Z,upon the flange or extremity of one of the parts, that rise up and turninward at right angles over the flange of the other part of the ram thatis to be united thereto,-so that by the insertion of a wedge or key z',between each of the hooks and the flange embraced thereby, (as shown inthe drawings,) the joint between any two component parts of the ram canbe as closely united as by the employment of any other means.

I find by experience that the screw bolts, by which the joints of ahydraulic ram have beenconfined, become so thickly coated with Oxydafter a few months exposure, that it is with great difficulty they canbe loosened with the best wrench when repairs are required. To obviatethis difficulty, and to enable anyonehsimply by the use of a stone or abillet of wood-to easily disconnect any of the joints of the ram whennecessary, I have made this my second improvement. rlhe simplicity andgreat utility of this mode of connecting joints that are to be exposedto the action of moisture will readily be appreciated.

My third improvement consists in making the pipe A, merely of suiiicientlength to constitute the body of the ra1n,-with which to combine theoperating parts thereof,and the combination therewith of a cluster ofsmall tubes c, e, which extend to the fountain head and conduct thewater to the ram. My object in making this improvement is to attain amuch greater degree of compactness in the construction of the hydraulicram. IVhere the main pipe A, is extended to the spring or fountain head,it has to be made of very great length to prevent the water fromrecoiling back to its source at each pulsation of the ram; by which aloss of its impulsive power is sustained: but by substituting a clusterof small tubes (e, 6,) for the conducting portion of the pipe A, I findthat-to operate a ram with the same power-the cluster of tubes (ofsufficient number,) has to be only one tenth the length required for thelarge pipe.

My fourth improvement consists in curving the lower extremity of thepipe A, and continuing its full size to the impetus valve B, for thepurpose of conducting the water in an unbroken current directly to theimpetus valve, and causing it to receive the entire force of the blowthat ensues -from its closing.

Having thus fully described the nature of my improvements in thehydraulic ram, what substantially in the manner and for the pur- I claimas my invention and desire to secure pose herein set forth. by LettersPatent, is-

The conducting the Water from the spring 5 or fountain head, tothe ram,through a, Witnesses:

Cluster of small tubes (e, 6,) Combined With Z'. C. ROBBINS, the pipe A,that forms the body of theram, J oI-rN GALLAGHER.

JOSHUA L. GATCHEL.

